Emergent
by Danielle96
Summary: After two and a half years life has changed a lot in Chicago. When Tris and her mother, along with Will, Tori and Uriah turn up again what will have happened to everyone and everything they once knew.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

It has been two and a half years since the last time I saw the barren landscape that connects the outside world to the fence. I wind down the window letting the warm breeze gently blow over my face.

"What do you think they will say when they see us?" Uriah said softly. I look at him. He is playing with the hem of his black shirt, but stops and looks at me. His eyes filled with worry.

"I don't know." I reply hoarsely. I have been thinking what to say to everyone when I see them, and trying to picture how they will respond for years.

"Well we have a meeting arranged with Johanna as soon as we arrive." Tori says peering into the rear view mirror at us. "We are to meet her at the fence and she will drive us to our location. I am not sure what will happen from there, we might get told to leave."

A few people that are tending to the crops stop and watch us go by. It brings a pang to my stomach, a reminder of what I have missed being away so long. I wind my window back up and let out a shaky breath. I touch my collar bones where the three ravens are before glancing backwards and seeing the other car.

"The fence." Will exclaims. I look forward again. There are people guarding the fence just like they use to, I see the sun reflecting off the guns they are holding. As we get closer one of the guards raises his gun at us. The car stops meters from the fence and we get out. The sun pounds down on us and I shield my eyes. Uriah and Will walk over to me grinning.

"I never thought I would be here again" Will says his green eyes bright with excitement. I brush my hands on my jeans. One of the guards stomps over to Tori before exchanging a few words, he looks at us smiling before nodding and shakes her hand. My mother walks past us from the other car and joins Tori before beckoning us forward.

"This is Tris, Will, and Uriah" she says softly gesturing to us accordingly.

"Very well, if you pass over your keys and we will take the cars. Johanna, is waiting for you, she is in the shade just behind the fence. Welcome back." The guard booms.

"Thank you." My Mother smiles at him before turning to look at me. "Ready?" she says breathing in at the same time. I am not sure if I will ever be ready. Life has continued without me, what if I never feel like I fit in anymore? I have to be strong. I nod. She grasps my hand and squeezes it before we all move towards the fence. Four guards open it and we step, for the first time in three years into the city. Johanna walks towards us beaming, her hair pulled back revealing her long scar. She still looks beautiful, like a woman who has been through a lot and still come out fighting. She hugs Tori hard before releasing her and looks at my mother for a moment, soaking her in.

"Natalie." Johanna's voice sounds like honey, every letter pronounced perfectly. She hugs my mom, and my mom hugs back. It is strange, I have only ever seen her do this to other people on a few occasions in my life but she seems so natural not awkward or tense like I often am. Even though I now know so much about her now it shows how at the same time I still know so little. I wonder if she still sticks by what she said when I was little, saying you should only hold hands, or hug if it is truly special. They release each other before Johanna looks at Me, Will and Uriah.

"I can't wait to catch up with you all. Just, let's not discuss anything until we get to The Hub." She smiles gently and walks towards one of the two cars. They are silver, the same sort of cars I was returned in when I went to visit Caleb for the first time since we chose different factions. I get in the later one, and my mother joins me along with Johanna.

We speed through the streets. The once cracked pavements are repaired, and the street lamps are now standing up.

"Doesn't it look better now everything is repaired? It took a while but it was worth it." Johanna smiles at us. It does look better, but doesn't feel like the city I once knew.

"What about the derelict side of the city?" I ask peering out the window.

"We haven't got round to everything. Clearing up everything that was destroyed in the conflict is still an ongoing process. I hope we will get round to it at some point" she purses her lips.

"Well if you need any help I don't mind." My mother says.

"Thank you, but let's get some things out of the way beforehand." It is clear the conversation is over, but just like the days at the dinner table my curiosity takes over.

"What things? What is going to happen when we get there?" I blurt out. My mother looks at me scolding me with her eyes. It is rude to be curious, but it doesn't matter because Johanna just ignores me.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

It doesn't take long before we reach The Hub, the cars pulling in right outside it. We get out and follow Johanna walking through the doors. Once we enter the cool air greets me. Almost three years ago I entered without knowing what faction I was going to choose, following the Abnegation up the stairs in unison, and only a while later running down with the Dauntless. We step into one of the lifts and Johanna presses floor three. I glance at Will who is looking straight ahead. The doors open and I step out of the lift following Johanna again. People stop to look at us, and only the sound of whispering can be heard. The wide room has two big windows which let in sunlight filling the room with a warm glow. We follow Johanna down a long corridor with marble floors. Near the end we turn right and then left, until we reach a doorway. Johanna spins on her heel and smiles at us once again before gesturing us to enter. I share a brief look with Uriah before we go in. In the room is a long wooden table with eight chairs, nothing else except one window and a painting of a sunset. I am the first one to sit down, before Uriah joins me on my right and Will to my left. My mother, Tori and Johanna sit down opposite us.

"So" Johanna begins, "How is it that after two and a half years you are all alive?" she raises her eyebrows. Nobody speaks up and she catches my eyes. I sigh.

"Well what did Four, Christina Celeb and everyone tell you?" It would save a lot of time if I knew what she knew.

"They shared with us that there was an explosion and Uriah was injured and was brain dead" She looks at him confused, but he just smiles back. "You were killed with a gunshot wound, and well Will, Tori and your mother were too." I nod.

"Uriah was not brain dead, he was given a long lasting Paralytic injection, so when they turned off the life support it did not affect him. Will I thought I shot in the head, I didn't look when I did it but –"

"But actually she missed me, I was still in the simulation so when Tris and Tobias turned it off I was still alone in the alley. When I heard all the gun shots I started to go look for Christina but I was jumped on and given the same injection Uriah was given and was driven out of the city" he interrupts and then smiles at me. "Sorry".

"My Mother" I look at her, but she is looking down at her lap but speaks for herself.

"I was shot, but as soon as the soldiers saw that I was dead they marched away. I managed to crawl into safety, but just like Uriah and Will someone came and injected me with the Paralytic serum. I was too weak to do anything and was barely conscious." We all waited for her to continue but that was it so I step in to fill the awkward silence.

"I was shot, or I thought I was. It was a simulation from the serum that was released in the air by David. I was also given the Paralytic serum injection." I stop with the memory of hearing Tobias cry by me and I was only millimetres away from touching his hand, but I couldn't do that or even speak clouds my mind. I wonder what he is doing right now.

Tori interjects "And I was also shot, but whilst there was no light and everyone was running for cover and towards the gate given the serum the others had. Tris stole my torch." She mock glared at me.

"Yeah sorry about that, but it is not like you could have used it being paralysed" I say back laughing.

"Anyway" Tori continued "we were taken at different times all to the same location, a place miles away. We were the chosen ones to have extensive tests carried out on us by the parent organisation of The Bureau of Genetic Welfare,. They also wanted to try and integrate us with the public from the safety of a compound where we can me monitored. We heard they opened this place" she gestures to the city "to the public. So we spoke to them and they were also concerned at how this would affect the people here. After a huge meeting they agreed to shut down the movement of people coming in and out unless it was from the Bureau of Genetic Welfare talking to you or whoever was in charge. Once they had done their research on us we were allowed to leave, we all wanted to come home. We had met people who we could have spent the rest of our lives with there, started a family and got a job, but we just wanted to see everyone and no matter how different it was here, come back." Tori smiles at all of us. "And I am really glad I did".

"Well I see. The Bureau of Genetic Welfare said only a few hours ago about your imminent arrival. I was shocked when I got the call, they didn't tell me any of that. Well now it all makes sense." Johanna purses her lips. "Things have changed and life has moved on since you left. We have gone back to factions, but each one now has a say in how our city has run. Every sixteen year old still takes the amplitude test and decides on a faction, the saying 'faction before blood' is still important to all of us. Whilst the borders were open most of the factionless left, and I can say most people were pleased. Some however remain but live in much better housing, and are a valuable asset to our society, but they are factionless none the less, they failed to make initiation and that will not change. Factions were only introduced a few weeks ago, and the initiation process started a few days ago, delayed because of restoration. Next year we plan to have it back to our original day. " As much as a so called democracy would have been good I would have missed the factions, the feeling of belonging somewhere. "The Abnegation still dress in grey, the Candor dress in black and white and so on. It is not said anywhere they have to, but everyone does, not one person to my knowledge goes out dress in different colors from their faction." I look down at my black outfit, it wasn't intentional, my black skater dress, and black converses seem like it must be installed in me to dress like this.

"I and only a few other people have knowledge about your arrival. For a while whilst the democracy was in place everyone lived in apartments, but once we re-installed the factions everyone moved back and is much happier now, returning to their old jobs. It has been a strain since a lot of people died, but we are getting by and with three years of recruits together when they pass initiation we should be back on track. The Dauntless are letting older members stay, a wing has been made for them attached not far from the main building. " Johanna stops for a breath before smiling at us.

"Tonight you will stay here. We have beds upstairs for the Genetic Welfare people to stay. Food will be delivered outside of your room at seven. I will come and talk to you all again at about ten, you can ask questions. Please don't leave your room though. We will ask you loved ones to come tomorrow where they will be told what happen to you, and then if they wish come and see you. Then" she lets out a sigh as if exhausted at the thought of it " a press conference will be arranged. We have TV's now, even in most abnegation homes, anyway I must be off, but first I will show you to your rooms."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

We all stand up and walk out of the room back into the large expanse of hallways. My mother grasps my shoulder and squeezes, I look back at her and smile. She always seems to be fluctuating between the mother I knew growing up, and the woman who rescued me when I was about to drown, and in a way I relish it. I can relate to her, and always feel safe, but at the same time have a mother again who scolds me for being too rude or nosey.

We reach the lift again, I stand next to Johanna and she presses 15 before grasping to my right arm and squeezing gently smiling at me. I use to have no muscles but as soon as I joined Dauntless I grew a lot and had to get new clothes, they are still there but not as noticeable because I no longer have the body of a little girl. I wonder what Tobias would think if he saw me.

"I am glad you are back" Johanna whispers. The lift doors open and we trundle out. We turn right and on the left of the corridor are a row of doors. She hands each of us a key card to get in our rooms. "This is where I leave you I am afraid, until tonight. As I said please don't go out of your rooms. If you need anything just pick up the phone and press one, it will ring through to my phone." She smiles and walks away.

We are all in a line outside out rooms and look at each other. I smile. It feels like the start of something, and I feel safe again. I slot the key into the door and it buzzes flashes green and lets me in.

In the room is a beautiful bed, queen size with an array of blue and white pillow. Opposite is a huge tv but it doesn't overpower the room, and underneath a mini fridge. I walk over to the giant window covered with a light material for privacy and pull it back revealing the city before my eyes. I see the train rushing towards the dauntless compound, will we ever be jumping on and off it again. I wonder what happened to the boy that didn't make it right after the choosing ceremony. The city seems more alive, there are more cars but not like there was in Seattle, only a few on each road. I press my hand against the cold glass.

I remember when I was little maybe three or four, I would wait for my father to come home and me and Caleb would run to the window and see who could spot him first. It was normally Caleb because he knew the exact time he was home but I just guessed.

I walk into the bathroom and turn on the light, it is bright but not overpowering. I take off my converses and then my dress letting it fall to the floor in a ring around my feet and then look in the mirror. I always use to flinch when I saw myself, now it is almost normal, but still strange. I touch the Dauntless tattoo and then the Abnegation one followed by the ravens. At one point I thought I lost all my family in one way or another, now it is just my dad that has flown away. I touch the last bird with my fingertips.

I turn on the shower letting the water heat up and taking off my bra and pants. I push the glass door open letting a rush of steam into my face and step in. The warm water glides down my back, just the right temperature that I get slight goose bumps. I rinse my hair with the products provided, it now rests on my chest just about. I wash my body and then turn off the shower. I slide down the tiles and sit with my back against them, my arms wrapped around my knees. I feel empty. I should feel so happy to be back and seeing everyone again, Tobias and Christina and people, but I don't. I left people behind from Seattle that I will never see again, I left my job, and house. I think I made the right decision. I sigh and stand up and grab one of the towels resting on a rail underneath the marble sink and dry off.

I walk to the small wardrobe and open it to find an array of clothes, each one for a different faction. I am Dauntless so grab the black hanger. There are black skinny jeans, and a t-shirt that hugs my body, it fits perfectly. I walk over to the mirror again, this feels better, I am getting there, and readjusting again that is all. I take off the clothes again and fold them into a small pile on the dresser for tomorrow and put on my night clothes that were provided on the stash of pillows.

A knock on the door, a rush of adrenaline enters my system, I walk over and open the door slowly expecting someone to be there. It is just the food. I pick up the tray and bring it inside and rest it on the floor. It is some sort of soup. I take of the Clingfilm wrapping it and the smell of tomato punches the air. I eat my dinner and then sit on my bed, exhausted I fall straight to sleep.

The next morning I am awoke to the phone in my room ringing, I pick it up.

"Ah Tris, how did you sleep?" Johanna asks

"Really well actually." I reply, my voices croaky.

"Good. We are going to start the press conference in an hour, if you like you can come down and be part of it, or you can stay and watch it in your room." She sounds rushed.

"I will stay here." I say.

"Ok. After the press conference I will come and get you all, you will each be classes as a citizen not a guest, and you will return to your factions. What they put on to welcome you back is up to them, you may have to go through initiation again, I am not sure. Please put on your faction clothes though." I make a noise to show that I am listening. She sighs. "Do you want to ask me anything, I have a few minutes?"

There is so much I want to ask. "Is Tobias okay?" My voice sounds weak and vulnerable. There is a momentary pause on the other end of the phone, the sounds of paper rustling.

"He is fine, but he needs to explain a few things to you Tris." She sounds almost sorry for me.

I hear a man's voice on the other end of the phone in the distance. "I have to go now Tris. If you need to speak to me just come back and ask for me."

"Right. Thanks Johanna" I say and put the phone down. I rush in and have a shower, get dressed. When I come out of the bathroom yesterday's dinner is gone, and two pancakes are sitting on the dresser. I walk over to it. A small pot of maple syrup is just on the side. It looks so delicious, but I am not hungry. I am too consumed with thoughts over today that I wouldn't dare to eat it in case I be sick. I turn on the television, the first channel is a politics show with people from each faction on a panel answering questions of the public. I press the next button and Johanna is sitting on a table with two other people, with flags of each faction rested behind her. The camera pans to the crowd of public and in the back reporters. I look for Tobias and he is sitting next to Christina and Celeb. Christina says something to Tobias and he nods thoughtfully back before relaying the message to Celeb who just looks straight ahead. I wonder what they are saying.

"So we wish them our love. Do you have any questions?" Johanna says with a smile.

"Yes. Mr Walsh reporter of the newspaper. How have the love ones reacted to this news?" A man at the back asks.

Johanna purses her lips and looks towards my friends. "They have just been informed. Obviously it is a lot to take in, we can't pressure them in meeting their friends and loved ones again, but all of them want to."

"You say they had a life before they came back, can you tell us more?" A man in from Candor asks.

"Well being away for two and a half years and in a different city relationships are bound to happen, it only natural. But they expressed that they all wanted to come back as soon as the trials were over. They are from what I gather extremely happy to be back. Tori explained they all left their homes, and jobs, and relationships behind." She looks at Tobias and he holds her gaze. "We need to now support them. We also have much to tell them, it may be hard to explain but it is vital in them feeling like they are accepted into our society again." She breaks the gaze.

"What is going to happen now?" Caleb asks.

Johanna smiles softly at him. "Well, their family will briefly visit them, they are staying here right now so after this conference one person will visit each of them. From then they will go back to their factions. I am informed they have somewhere to stay, Natalie will go back to her home in Abnegation, and the rest have their rooms in Divergent waiting for them that were waiting after they passed indication almost three years ago. That is all have to say for now. Could the family please follow me first out of the room." They stand up and flashes of light and mutters are turning the room into chaos, even though it is calm. I let out a shaky breath and turn the television off. Who is coming to visit me? Caleb, my brother or Tobias. I open the thick long brown curtains and sunshine floods my room with a warm glow. I make my bed and sit on it.

A few minutes later there is a knock on my door. I am not sure I have ever been this nervous, even when I was almost executed, shot, waiting for my turn during simulations. I get up and walk over to the door and open it slowly. I pan my eyes up the body, I know who it is without having to look. My eyes shift to the face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Tris" His voice is strained. He throws his arm around me and lifts me up, placing his head in my shoulder. I clasp my arms around his neck. He has short hair like Abnegation and he is crying, my neck is damp.

"Tobias." I whisper, pulling myself closer to him. I never thought I would ever get to see him again, all the nights I laid awake dreaming of this to happen.

Still holding me he walks into the room and the door swings shut behind us. He gently puts me down before kissing me gently, every touch of his lips sends waves of shivers over my body. I kiss back and I feel his smile. I pull away and look at him. He looks alive, his eyes are so bright.

"I can't believe you are alive. We all missed you so much." He pauses and takes in my new body. "I love you." He kisses me again and I kiss back letting my mouth part. It was gentle at first but now it feels like a rush, like we must make up for two and a half years without each other. I run my hands over his top before lifting it up at the back slightly, allowing my hands to roam over his tattoos. I touch each one in turn remembering exactly where they lie. His body warms my hands.

He pulls away again. "Do I look very different?" I say smiling.

"You look amazing. Different because you have grown up but not very much. You are still the same old Tris." He pecks my lips. "We need to pack you things up, you are coming back to Daugntless. You have a room only a few doors down from mine. Everyone is meeting in the pit to welcome you all back." He smiles again.

I don't know if I am ready to face everyone, I remember when they found Als body and everyone got drunk, it was awful. As if Tobias knows what I am thinking he holds my hand.

"Don't worry, I will be right there, and Tori, Will and Uriah will be beside you also." He speaks softly.

We gather my few belongings and head out of the room holding hands. I hear a squeal and look to see Christina running towards me. Tobias grabs my belongings before she runs and embraces me. I would have never done this before, and now I just never want to let her go, any of them. I finally feel like home.

"Come on Christina we need to get to The Pit, everyone will be waiting." Zeke says standing next to Uriah. Christina lets go with tears streaming down her face.

"Sorry Tris, I just missed you so much." She says laughing but tears still being shed, I laugh too. We knock on the door of my mother's room and she and Caleb come out. My mother looks rigid, stern. He must of told her about the betrayal, she risked her life for us and it meant nothing to him. The ager I thought was lost remerged but faded as soon as I saw him. I ran over and hugged him. No matter what he did, what an idiot he was he will always be my brother. I then notice he is in Erudite clothing and my stomach dropped.

"You are still in Eurdite?" I say, my voice strained.

He nods. "It isn't like it use to be, we have gone back to our original values stated in the manifesto. We have new leaders now." I nod slowly and hug him again. "We should all go. I will come see you soon Tris. Promise." He lets go and we start to walk towards the lifts.

Tori and her George exit their room. I have never seen her so happy she hugs her brother again who is dressed in black. It will only be Caleb and my mother going back to a different faction than us. As we walk to the lift we are all clustered together, Tobias is holding my hand and I think I am applying just the right pressure.

We exit The Hub with people stopping to look at us. The same cars from yesterday are waiting outside and I walk towards one when Tobias says "Those aren't for us." A smile creeps across his face. My mother and Caleb hug me before entering the two separate cars and being sped off. We walk to the train track.

"So, looking forward to being back?" Zeke says looking at all of us. I don't say anything. It will be weird without Al being there, as our group is almost back together and we are trying to patch it together with a plaster but it keeps peeling off.

"The new indicates are on their third day. We had five people who didn't make it to the train, and another three fell. We have increased the people who make it in to thirty this year, to make up for the three years, but we have seventy initiates, both Dauntless born and transfers." Christina says. I look over at Tobias whose jaw is clenched.

"That means forty people are factionless?" Uriah says. Christina nods.

"Some leave, I mean Johanna says nobody comes in the city, and that is right, but quite a few leave, all so far have been factionless." Tobias joins in. "They don't have a say in how our city is run. They are still poorer than the rest, but their housing is okay, they are fed better than ever, people respect them. If we didn't have factionless we would have weak factions, there would be no point in indication, no pride in our factions. No society can be perfect." I nod, there is nothing I can say. It just seems like the conflict was over nothing, all those deaths to go back to a society that is still damaged, but it isn't. On the way in I saw the factionless housing and it is built with glass and metal, they have parks and mini shops, and everyone looks well clothed, fed and happy.

I hear the train and before long it becomes visible hurtling towards us, my hands become sweaty and I break Tobias grip to rub my hands on my jeans.

"Ready?" Tobias shouts over the noise of the train. I start to run beside and spot a cart with a door open and run beside it before grabbing the handle and pulling myself in, landing on my feet. I step back smiling. Everyone clambers on easily and sits down.

Tobias laces his fingers with mine. "A lot of people are excited to see you" he says quietly to me. "Be Brave Tris." He kisses my lips.

The rush of air through the cart is one I have missed for so long. I glance over at Christina who catches my eyes. "Remember the first time we rode on this train Tris, and we sat down and watch people almost get blown out!" I nod and we both laugh.

It doesn't take long before we reach the Dauntless Compound. We are coming in to the roof top and we all stand up. I am the first to walk to the edge of the cart and peer out bracing myself for the jump. Christina grabs my hand. She knows I will need her to jump, just like she needed me the first time we jumped off here. On three I will jump. One. Two. Thr- I jump feeling weightless before feeling the force of gravity and crashing down to the roof top. I breathe a sigh of relief, we made it. I hear the others and on the gravel to my right, and stand up brushing myself off.

"I think Tris should go first." Uriah says "She was the first one originally."

I walk to the edge of the roof where the hole appears below me a few stories down. Unlike the first time I know what awaits me. I step back a few paces and run and jump. The rush of air wraps around my body, my clothes trying to pull away from my skin with the wind. No words come out of my mouth despite screaming because air fills my mouth. The rush is far more than I ever remember it, feeling so alive; adrenaline pumping vigorously around my body. I land on the hard surface like before, rolling off it. I hear a few people clap and cheer as I come to my feet on the platform, just when Christina like before jumps after me and lands with an outburst of laughter.

It is not long before the others join us. As we step down there are about twenty people that waited for us to jump, to see us first. Tobias grabs my hand and leads us towards a woman watching us, she looks familiar.

"Hello Tris." She says.

"This is one of our new Dauntless leaders. You may remember her, she was an initiate instructor for the Dauntless born, and you went through her fear landscape." Tobias says. I remember her face now, she still has her pierced eyebrows lip, and also her ear is still covered in them top to bottom.

I smile. "Lauren." And she nods in reply.

"Welcome back, do people still call you Stiff?" She raises the eyebrow without any piercings in it up.

I shrug. "I don't know."

"I like it still." She pauses "Let's go Stiff." She smiles and we all follow her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When we reached the pit we are welcomed with cheers and people punching the air. in true Dauntless style. It feels like the faction I knew the day I finished initiation. We walk through the crowd which have parted for us. Little children at the front held back by their parents are smiling and cheering us. I see a few people I recognise, Shauna greets us at the end of the line, and she pushes herself forward. She looks comfortable using the wheelchair now, and despite being divergent no longer avoids me.

I still class myself as Divergent. I wonder if people still get murdered for being one?

I Shake Shauna's hand and walk forward facing the crowd. Tobias stands with facing me.

"Here we have Tori, she was one of our tattoo artists and worked in the parlour with Bud. " Bud makes a "woo" sound and punches his hand in the air and everyone turns and starts laughing. "Tori has accomplished a lot, and I am sure many of you will be lining up to get a tattoo done by her." Shauna pushes herself along to Will. "Will was one of our initiates, during the first mass simulation he was thought to have been shot. However he stands before us uninjured, a brave man." Everyone cheers. Next is Uriah. "Uriah, one of the kindest people you will ever meet. He is a Dauntless born. . Uriah has lost a lot of people close to him, but we will support him. He also has an incredible aim on the gun." She winks at him. "And last we have Tris." I can see she is looking at me in my peripheral vision but I just stare at Tobias. My heart pounds against my chest. The crowd suddenly goes so silent you could hear a pin drop. "Tris is one of our most famous members. She risked her lives numerous times to save us, and unfortunately even people within our faction tried to kill her." Tobias turns to look over his shoulder at Peter, whose eyes are wide. "But she stands here today a strong young women." The sound of clapping and cheering suddenly starts, it echoes through The Pit so loud the kids cover their ears. Lauren continues over the noise. "These young men and women are here to stay. They will be treated with the ultimate respect and dignity they deserve. If I see anyone being rude, or behaving in a questionable manor you will be on watch, one more offence and you are factionless. We as a faction have no tolerance to people who can show no respect. Now" There is a pause and silence again. "We party!" Everyone cheers once more.

Christine runs over and hugs me. The music blares and she grabs my hands and we dance, I feel so free, so very alive with the music coursing through my bones.

"I can't believe you are back!" She shouts over the music.

I nod "I know."

After a while Christina pulls me away, people are starting to get drunk and threatening to beat each other up. We make the way down the corridor. Even though it has been so long I still know where to place my foot.

Angry voices echo through the corridor, a girls voice I don't recognise and also Tobias', Christina looks at me worried, grabs my hand, squeezes it, and then release it. We reach the room where the voices came from, the door is open. The girl is standing with her hand on her hip, the other gesturing, and Tobias is sitting on his bed rubbing his face. He looks drained, but he peers over and sees me, his eyes light up and a smile pierces across his face. He stands up, ignoring the girl and walks right past her.

"Hey." He speaks softly, but it comes out sounding slightly Australian which makes me laugh.

The girl behind stomps over to the doorway and glares at me. All of a sudden she shoves past Tobias and points her finger millimetres away from my face and snarls.

"She shouldn't be allowed back here after what she did to innocent people!"

The girl stomps off.

I look at Tobias, he rolls his eyes and comes over, embracing me and pecks me a kiss on the lips.

Sighing he says "I have to go sort out some stuff for work."

"That's okay, we were just going back to our rooms." Christina smiles softly before gesturing me to carry on moving, when we reach my door we stop.

"Who is she?" I ask.

Christina pauses for a second before looking at me. "Eric's sister. She must have heard about you and is annoyed you are back, and since Tobias is a leader went to him to vent her anger out on."

"Eric's sister" I repeat. "He killed innocent people, why is she annoyed at me?"

"She has been stirring up trouble since she got here. I heard the leaders having a meeting about threatening to kick her out but someone said no, she is valuable to us or something. I don't know." She sighs. "From what I hear there were plans to throw her into the cazern tonight, but then they couldn't because there would be too many people around when they heard you guys were back." A smile floats across her face. "I am sure they will try again."

"You agree with people throwing her off the Cazern?" I say accusingly.

Christina shrugs. "She makes Peter sound like her God, how she wants to be like him, or at least the old him. Last night she got into a fight with another girl and beat her up so much the girl was rushed to hospital with four broken ribs, a broken eye socket and the wrist was completely shattered, it makes a broken nose and bruises look like nothing."

"And they don't throw her out?" I say talking to myself.

"Nope." Christina says. She gets off my bed. "I think I am going to go to my room now Tris, I am really tired and not hungry, but if you want me to go get something to eat with you I don't mind." Her voice drifting off.

"No, I'm not hungry either." Christina nods in reply and walks down the corridor to her room. I step inside. I go over and lock it before getting changed into the nightwear I find in the wardrobe. I go to put my clothes in one of the draws but a gun slides along with the momentum. I lift it up. My hands do not shake. I am prepared. I put it on my bedside table and put my clothes away before climbing into bed and falling asleep.

In my dream I am standing in a street alone in my pyjamas, a gun slung across my chest. I turn around an army is marching towards me, faceless. In Abnegation clothes. They walk in step with each other. In their right hand they hold a gun. I step back a few paces to limit the distance they come towards me at, but something cold presses against my temple and the sound of a bullet finding its temporary home paralyses me.

I turn my head slowly to see who it is. It is Tobias. His face the same as it was the time he almost killed me in the control room. I look at the army again, their guns are pointing at me, and the bullets of hundreds of Abnegation men and women click into place. I take a long breath in. Everything goes dark and I hear wind, but there is no wind. I remember this. Thousands of crows sore down from the sky. All of the army look up and start shooting at the sky, but the birds don't die. They continue flying down and only seconds later start pecking the army to death. None touch Tobias though. He smiles at me.

"Be brave Tris" he says in a singsong voice before an evil smile erupts across his face.

I wake up in a pool of sweat, my breathing rapid.

The air is cold and crisp.

I remember when I was away for the two the two years I use to get up everyday and go out for a run, in the winter the paths would be lined with frost. I had an ipod and obviously with years of not being in contact with the outside world there was a lot of music to catch up.

Someone knocks on my door, and I trundle over, unlocking it and see Tobias grinning in front of me, his pearly white teeth glistening in the minimal light. He enters my room.

"I just wanted to say sorry about that girl."

"Christina told me about her." I but in. He nods, keeping my eye contact.

It is strange standing in front of this Tobias, when the one in my dream was so horrible and cruel.

"Anyway, I just wanted to apologise." His voice is like cream, thick and soft.

He holds my gaze as he retreats to the door, before turning around and dispersing into the night, or at least down the corridor.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When I wake up it takes me a minute to remember where I am. I open my eyes and sit up in bed. I don't even know what happened last night, I mean the dream I faintly remember but why did everyone rush in?

I get up, have a shower and put on the same clothes from yesterday, I tie my hair up in a neat bun. I walk out of my room down the corridor. Christina, Will, or Uriah must have a room down this corridor if they came in last night. I pace down, fast before finding Wills plaque. I knock. Nobody answers.

"Hey Tris" I turn around to see Uriah walking towards me. "How you feeling?"

"Okay. It was just a bad dream." I say embarrassed. They saw me crying and scared, they know I am weak.

"You were shouting and screaming, saying 'The crows' and 'Tobias stop, please' and stuff." He plays with some loose stones on the floor with his foot.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." I say, I can feel my cheeks flushing.

He looks up and smiles. "It is fine, we just needed to make sure you were okay. Want to grab some breakfast? Will and Christina are already eating."

"Sure, where is Four?"

Uriah purses his lips before smiling again, the kind of smile people give you when they are feeling sorry for you. "I am not sure. Haven't seen him since last night." He folds his arm so I can loop mine through it, and we walk down the corridor as if we are going to a posh banquet.

As we almost reach the cafeteria I stop abruptly, my feet planted to the ground. Uriah raises an eyebrow. "I need to find Tobias." I say my voice sounds so strained.

Uriah rubs the back of his neck. "Do you want me to see if he is in there quickly for you?" I nod sharply. He turns and jogs. Whilst waiting a few people pat me on the shoulder before going in. He comes out a few seconds later shaking his head. "Christina says he may be in the control room? Sometimes he goes up there apparently to talk to his friend he use to work with."

We climb the stairs. Even being away for so long, I am not remotely concerned about the lack of railings to keep me from falling.

I stop short of the lift. I breathe in and out slowly. I need to do this, I need to be strong for myself. My palms collecting with sweat, I rub them on my jeans and let out a shaky breath. Uriah presses the up button. The world is spinning so fast. It needs to stop.

We get in the lift and I cling onto the metal rail inside and look at my reflection in the mirrors around. I am so pale. The doors open again and we get out and make our way to the control room. I can't look up or I will find the spot I saw my father die. I watch my feet plant themselves in front of each other. It doesn't take us long before we reach the control room. I look up when I see the door in front of my feet. Tobias is sitting on a desk looking at the screens chatting to a man. I knock on the door and they both turn round. Tobias gets up and walks towards us. I search his face for some emotion but there is nothing. I step back a few paces when he reaches the door. I look at Uriah.

"I am going to go back to the cafeteria now. I will see you later." He turns and walks briskly down the corridor.

Tobias grabs my hand and gently pulls me towards him and hugs me.

"I think I need to explain a few things to you." He says quietly.

Instead of going back to our rooms, or going outside we head to the Cavern, where we first kissed.

When we sit he looks straight ahead. "So. The girl last night in my room was Erics sister, she is an initiate. When she heard you were being welcomed back she flipped, that is why she was in my room shouting. I didn't know she was going to slap you Tris." He looks at me and goes to touch my cheek but I lean back. He looks down and turns back to stare ahead again. "When I heard you screaming last night I was on my way back from a meeting, but they wouldn't let me see you. I think they think I was sleeping with her." Tobias shrugs.

"Do you not care what people think?" I know he does. He cared what Eric thought, his mother, Marcus, and people in the faction.

"Yes. I just think."

"Think what?" I say when we doesn't continue. I lean back and look up at the stone glistening with the light reflecting off the water. "This isn't what you wanted to talk to me about, is it? I know about Eric's sister, Christina told me. What is going on?"

I look at Tobias now, it strains my neck so I sit up. He licks his lips, as if trying to come up with a way to tell me.

"Johanna isn't all she seems." He says facing me now. "When the democracy was in place she took me under her wing, but she fed me lies upon lies. I never confronted her with them and she thinks I believe her. She wanted me to tell you about the opportunity for the divergent in the city. They are starting a programme for people like you."

"and you." I say. He shakes his head.

"No Tris. I got proven I wasn't Divergent, but you are. She said to me to tell you that this programme will help you come to terms with being Divergent. It is about how you are 'the foundation to a peaceful and prosperous society'. It turns out there are very few people who are actually Divergent. She was happy to send people out of the city who would be a hindrance to her preparation, and knowing how much you changed things last time she wanted rid of you. Us." He looks in my eyes. "I am not sure it will ever be safe here for you Tris. I can get someone to take you back to your home."

"This is my home." I snap. "What are they going to do with us?"

Tobias sighs. "Johanna is scarred of the Divergent. She hated us, remember when we went to Amity?" He raises an eyebrow. "I don't know what exactly is going on, but I think she is planning on doing testing on you. The Candor and Amity are still really close, I think that's how she plans on doing it. Johanna is really the unelected leader of the city, which is why she welcomed you back and had meeting with people from The Bureau. That is all I know"

"Who told you about the testing?"

"Celeb."

"And you believe him?"

"He has changed Tris. He was young and stupid." I shouldn't doubt my brother, but I will always be wary around him after he watched me almost die.

I think Tobias is right on this. Why would Johanna greet us, when they have no one person in control of the city? Why did she hate us to begin with, and then wanted us to be the first people out of the city? It doesn't make sense.

Tobias lies back on the rock, and I do also. He intertwines my fingers with his. We lay like that for a few minutes maybe. It felt like hours upon hours though, but not in a bad way.

I remember Celeb telling me "Something big is happening, Beatrice" and it feels the same, the feeling in the pit of my stomach is responding in entirely the same way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Tobias walks me back to my room. The light at the end of the corridors acting beacons, so even if you are not quite sure where you are going, just having that glow of light right at the end gives some sort of hope. That is how I feel when we are walking back. I feel I am lost, again, but not too lost that I can't find my way back. I wish my mother was here, whenever she held my hand I knew I would be safe, she would protect me. I don't know what is going to happen, I think most people know I am Divergent and therefore I may be killed at any point. Maybe there are people working with Johanna in Dauntless, waiting to strike and kill me, or whatever they plan on doing. Am I being too self-obsessed?

When we reach my room I turn round and smile at Tobias, expecting him to go back to his room, but he just stands there looking at me me from my feet to my head, not lingering anywhere too long before meeting my eyes. He smiles. It is a crooked smile. I just raise an eyebrow in an expecting manor, waiting for him to say something, but he remains silent. I turn back around to the door and feel his warm hands against my waist, just under my t-shirt. I can feel his breath creep across the back of my neck sending a shiver through me. His soft lips come into contact with my neck, and slowly he makes his way to my ear, and then to my jaw. I turn my head slightly to look at him and he stops. He looks like a deer caught in headlights, and his hands fall from my waist. I can still feel his touch, like a ghost hand.

We stand there for a moment, before I turn back and open the door. I step into my room taking a quick glance around before turning back to Tobias. He is still standing outside, but his eyes are not breaking from looking at me, not once faltering to look around me. I step back, my hands still holding on to the door handle.

"Are you coming in?" I ask mockingly. He flashes his huge smile at me before stepping in.

And just like that he strides towards me. I let go of the door it swinging shut. He kisses me gently, his soft lips glide over mine. His hands come once again into contact with my hips. I run my hands under his shirt exploring wear each tattoo is. Our lips overlap, and he tastes perfect, nothing in particular, just like Tobias. He bites my bottom lip sensually, before leaving and kissing delicately along my jaw and by my ear. One of my hands wraps around his neck and pulls him to face me again. Our foreheads and noses touch. We are breathing each other's air. I look into his eyes, being absorbed by how alive they look, how hungry and lovingly they look.

He pulls my hips towards him before he guides me back to a wall. He lets go and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear before looking at my tattoo. He touches each one individually, looking at them with such intensity as if he was worried one would fly away. Tobias lips press gently against each one. My heart beats fast. I want this, but I am nervous. I grip onto him tighter in fear he may feel my hands shaking. "Tris." He groans quietly. I can feel the exhale of the breath against my skin. I kiss his forehead gently and his face lifts our eyes hold our gaze.

Tobias pulls away touches the hem of my t-shirt before slowly pulling it over my head. I look down sheepishly, but his hand gently touches my chin and pushes it up so our eyes meet once more. He then grabs the back of his collar and pulls his shirt off. I look down at the fire tattoos and trace the flames edges with my fingers. He shudders but starts quietly laughing.

"What?" I say.

"It tickles." He slaps his hand into his face suppressing his laughter, but I join in also resting my head on his shoulder. After a few seconds I start to kiss his muscular shoulder, my hands running up his back. He takes a deep breath in under my touch. Tobias looks down at me, I can feel his gaze. His hands drop to his belt and it drops to the floor. I undo the buttons of his trousers and slowly guide them down, before doing the same to his boxers. I peer up at for a split second.

With my heart still pounding against my chest I stand up. He undoes my jeans, and then takes off underwear. We kiss again, more hungrily this time.

The next morning I wake curled into Tobias. His muscular arms wrapped around me. I peer over at the alarm clock. Eight o'clock. I get up the warm bed, the cold air nipping at my skin, and sprint across to the bathroom to have a hot shower. When I emerge back into the bedroom Tobias is already dressed, but laying on my bed.

I walk over to the wardrobe and get dressed.

"So I was thinking, I am training the initiates today, want to help?" He raises an eyebrow at me and a wicked grin spreads across his face.

"Will that girl be there?" I say, not looking at him. I don't want him to read my face.

"She isn't in my group." Tobias says smugly.

I turn around looking at him and nod. I don't really know what I am going to be doing with my days now I am not an initiate myself. I wonder what the others are going to do. We walk out and head to the dormitory I stayed in.

"Tomorrow is the paintball fight." Tobias whispers close to my ear. "Want to come?" Excitement floods into my body. "Maybe this year you can try not to almost fall to your death, and if we win I will allow you the honour of holding the flag, that Christina so cruelly took away last year." Tobias says sarcastically. I shove him with my shoulder, but nod. That was when I discovered Tobias fear of heights, it is also the time people started taking me seriously and not just some Abnegation girl.

"Who else will be there?"

"Lauren, me, Uriah, Christina, Will, Peter." He pauses to asses my reaction before continuing with some people I don't know.

When we reach the dormitory I let Tobias go in first. The initiates don't move.

"Get up!" Tobias shouts. "Why aren't you dressed and up?"

I look over at my old bed. You can still see the spray paint of 'Stiff' across the metal bars. The girl laying in it sits up. Her hair is long and brown, I recognise her. She was Abnegation and lived three houses down from us. Her mother worked with mine.

Everyone emerges from their beds in a sleepy state.

"Today you also have another instructor watching over you." Their eyes dart to me. "Her name is Tris."

The girl whom I have yet to put a name to her face smiles at me, she recognise me.

"Today we will doing target practice with guns, and knives." I look at Tobias. I thought he saw no point in throwing knives?

"You have ten minutes. Be down in the target practice room. Anyone late will be automatically cut." They just stood there looking at us. His neck pecks forward when he says "Are you going get ready or what?" They all start to scramble to get towels out of their draws and rush past us to the bathrooms.

When everyone has gone I walk over to my old bed and brush my hands along the spray paint. Suddenly a pungent smell of blood punches my noise. I guess no matter how long after the incident with the butter knife I will never be able to forget the stench of blood in here.

I walk back to the door and we make our way to the target practice room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

I tie my hair back whilst we are walking. I look down at my clothes, when we have finished training I need to by some more, especially since I'll be helping train now.

When we enter the target practice room Tobias turns on the lights, and they individually flicker on. The guns are on the right wall, with the wooden targets standing on the left.

I walk over to the table and run my finger just under the guns. I pick the last gun up. The metal cold against my hand. I am not scared of it. It gives me power, but it demands respect. I pick up some bullets that lay in an open cardboard box for demonstration and slot one into place. I walk over to the target I always use to stand at and click the bullet into place. The room is silent. I now feel the weight of the gun. I breathe in and spread my legs apart, raising the gun at the target outstretching it and making sure my grip is firm to avoid a recoil like the first time when the gun almost hit my face. I hear the door opening and the faint sound of voices but I am entirely focused on this gun, and where the bullet will end up. I carefully place my finger on the trigger and breath out, squeezing as I do. The bullet penetrated the target right in the middle. I fire again, and again, and again until I run out of bullets. When I lower my gun I realise the initiation class were watching me. I can feel my cheeks flushing. Tobias stands with his arms folded grinning at me.

I am no longer scared of this powerful weapon, but I am more careful with it.

The Abnegation girl is staring jaw open at me, her body rigid. If I looked anything like her I can see they called me 'Stiff'.

I put the gun back on the table and walk over to the group. Tobias nods at me, prompting me to give instructions.

"So because I don't know you, I am not sure what you are capable of." I look at them in the eye individually. "you will each pick a target and a gun, and take a box of bullets. But first" I smile. I hope I don't look sadistic like Eric did. "where are you all from, and what are your names?"

No one speaks up, and I am about to say just start from the back, when the Abnegation girl say "Hetty, Abnegation." I nod and look to the boy next to her. He is tall with broad shoulders, his hair is dark and glossy.

"Isaac, Amity." I raise my eyebrows up at him. It is almost as rare as people leaving Abnegation. He shifts uncomfortably under my gaze. I nod and continue to the next girl.

After I get them all lined up at their targets Tobias demonstrates how to fire a gun. I make them do pose by pose, and we both go along the row correcting anything that could see them end up in the medical ward. I keep my eyes on Hetty and Isaac, they are the only ones from their factions and seem close, but also almost naturals.

Not one of the initiates hits the board after the first attempt, but eventually someone cheers along the row. I look up and see a boy jumping in the air waving his loaded gun around. Tobias walks briskly over to him.

"You are holding a loaded gun." The room goes silent. "What are you doing point it in all angles? You treat a gun with the respects it deserves. Do you think shooting is some sort of game?"

The colour strains from the boy's face. The initiates stop.

"Did we tell you to stop?" I say. Tobias shoots a glare at me.

"They need to know it is not a toy." His eyes wide. I walk over to him and rest my hand on his arm which is frozen at gesturing to the boy. He lowers it under my touch.

"Four." I say in disbelief. He is sounding like Eric. "He didn't realise. This is his first time holding a gun."

"You didn't treat the gun like that." He snaps at me, but I just raise my eyebrows. "Fine continue." He says walking away from the boy.

I go back to my original position in monitoring the group when someone opens the doors behind me. I turn around and it is Christina. She grins at me and beckons me out.

"Caleb sent a message, he says to meet him at your old home in Abnegation."

"When?"

"Tonight, at eleven. He wants you, Tobias, me, Will and Uriah to come."

"What about Tori or George?" I think it is unfair after all Tori has done for us, me, to just not include her.

Christina shrugs. "I don't know, that is all I got told. We will meet by the tracks at half ten" She scrunches her lips to the corner of her mouth, put her hands in her pockets and spins slowly on the ball of her foot before walking back down the corridor towards the pit.

I go back into the training room, they are all starting to at least hit the target. I look at Tobias who is pacing back and fourth behind the initiate's.

I walk over to Hetty, she is scowling at the target and coward over.

"Stand up straight Hetty, it will help." She does so "Now shoot." I say, and pulls the trigger and it is just off the centre. She beams at me, her teeth are perfectly straight, but they almost look like baby teeth.

I carry on walking down the line and next to Hetty is Isaac, his feet are together not spread apart, so when she shoots he loses his balance.

"Feet apart Isaac." I say.

When the training is over for break the initiates stream out of the room.

"What is the matter?" I ask Tobias. I don't understand why he is acting so horrible to them, he was never like this when he trained us.

He turns around scowling at me. "The boy was waving a gun up in the air Tris. He could have killed someone."

"He didn't know any better. I am sure he won't do it again." I say calmly.

"No" Tobias shakes his head. "Don't you see that is what Peter was like? What happens if he hurts them like he hurt you and Edward?"

"He is not the one you have to watch out for." I sigh.

"Who do I have to watch out for then?"

"The girl, Eric's sister."

Even Christina pointed out she was dangerous, and she isn't even watching over the initiates. The fact the Tobias said she mustn't leave makes me wary. If she beat someone up that much why wasn't she kicked out.

Tobias sighs "Just because she slapped you Tris."

How dare he. It isn't because she slapped me, just like I wasn't jealous of Nita. Anger boils inside me.

"No Tobias it isn't because she slapped me. Christina sai-"

He cuts me off "You are really going to believe what Christina said? She doesn't even know Mel."

I thought we finally sorted things, but I was wrong. All those times I was right and if he trusted me people wouldn't have got injured. I think I am done with him. He doesn't trust me.

I can feel my eyes start to swell with water, and attempt to blink them away, but it isn't working. I feel a warm liquid drip slowly down my right cheek.

"I am going to believe her because she is my friend." I spit. "You talk to me as if I am a three year old Four." I spit.

"Don't call me Four." His face is red with anger.

"Caleb has got something important to tell us, we are meeting at half ten by the tracks to go my house in Abnegation." My face is scrunched up and I am so out of breath. "Do you think I should trust him?" I shout. It echo's across the room repeating what feels like a thousand times.

Tobias doesn't say anything, he just looks at me.

"I don't know you anymore." I say gently. "You look like Tobias, but you sound like Eric." I choke.

The door opens and Lauren walks in smiling, but when she sees our faces she freezes. I walk past her and slam the door on the way out.

I walk with no purpose, no planned destination. After a while I end back up in my corridor. I stand against the wall and repeatedly smack the back of my head against the stone wall, before sliding down and curling up into a ball on the floor crying. I am supposed to be strong, brave. But I am weak.

I am Damaged.

I walk to the tracks by myself. When I get there I see Christina, Will and Uriah singing, but the wind is blowing in the opposite direction so I can't hear them. I look at the sky. The sun is setting and pinks, blues and yellows smudge together. Suddenly the wind picks up and my hair whips me in the face repeatedly, stinging. I pull my hair to the side of my place holding it there, and pulling up my hood to try and keep things manageable. I miss my short hair. It was so easy to control, and I wouldn't need to worry about people grabbing me by it if we got in fights. Maybe my mother will cut it for me.

Christina sees me, she smiles and waves. I walk over to her. she is jumping on the spot either trying to keep warm or is extremely excited to see me. She puts her hands together, for a moment I thought she was going to pray, but will grabs them and breathes onto them. I can see the small light of the train in the distance.

"Where is Four?" Uriah says, turning from the train to me. I shrug. I don't know why people ask it is not like I control where he goes. "You did tell him, didn't you?"

"Yes. Maybe he is too busy talking about Eric's sister, Mel." I roll my eyes. But Christina squints and a smile erupts across her face.

"You Tris Prior are jealous." Christina says slowly, her eyes are wide as if with disbelief.

I scoff. "I am not jealous, she is dangerous, you said so yourself". She just nods thoughtfully before peering behind me.

"Speaking of the devil." Uriah says.

I do not turn around. I don't even want to look at him right now.

"I was looking for Tris." He says behind me, and reaches to wrap his arms around me in a hug. I shove my arms back though, and he groans. Good.

The train is close now, and we start to run alongside. Christina gets in first, and then Tobias, and Will. I grab onto the handle and pull myself in, dismissing the hand Tobias offered. I turn round and help pull Uriah in.

I sit next to Christina away from the boys at the other end of the cart. She seems so happy now Will is back. I am listening but mostly just soaking in the final moments before the sun goes down.

I explain to Christina what Tobias told me by the Cavern and about Johanna but she doesn't seem shocked.

"It seems out of character for Johanna to do such a thing though, don't you think?" Christina says. It is. As much as she didn't like me and Tobias that much at first she became accepting of us. She trusted we wouldn't mess up the escape of the city.

After a few minutes of not saying anything Christina gets up and goes to sit by Will. Tobias gets up and comes to sit opposite me.

"I'm sorry" He admitted, his adams apple bobbed up and down. "I really shouldn't have said all that stuff. I just think Mel is okay."

"Why are you protecting her?" I ask. I look at the others, they were watching us as their eyes dart in all different directions and the conversation stops.

"I promise I will explain when we get back." He pleased. I nod in response.

Tobias crawls across to sit next to me, but the train jolted and he grabs a hand which lands on my thigh to stop him from falling over. Will whistles, and I can feel my cheeks turning pink.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Tobias quickly removes his hand from my thigh. His face also flushed with embarrassment. Will, Christina and Uriah laugh playfully at us.

Tobias sits next to me, and I sigh leaning my head on his hard shoulder. The sway of the train rapidly sends me into a sleep.

I am on the train, I can feel the movement. When I open my eyes Tobias is standing over me, nobody else is here with us. I look back up to Tobias, his eyes are dark black pits of nothing. He bends down slowly and his hand wraps around my neck squeezing the airways so tight I can't breathe. Black spots start to appear in my vision, and pain shoots through my body. I can't hear the train anymore. My eyes are blinking so fast, it's as if they are on the verge of discovery that taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide is somehow possible, but of course they isn't. They are fighting back tears.

I claw at his hands, and thrash my feet about. My will to survive makes his grasp around my neck seem weak in comparison. He lets go from my neck finger by finger slowly, as if to catch every last second he can before letting me live. Tobias stands back watching me gasp for air. My hands are shaking and I lose my eyes. In and out. In and out. In and out.

When I look back up it isn't Tobias. It is Eric. A wicked smile spreads across his evil face, and he cracks his scabbed knuckles one at a time. I pull myself to my feet, clenching my small hands into fists. I can feel the blood pound around my head.

He strides towards me, his boots slamming against the wooden floor of the train cart. "Not so brave now are you Tris." He chuckles. "Although I have to admit" he scans a look down my body, nods and licks his lips. Disgusting. "You don't look so scrawny." Eric's moves his head to the side of mine, I can feel his breath against my ear. "Scared? But Tris you were always so brave, what happened?" he says in a pouty voice.

I pull my right knee up fast and hit him hard in the groin, and look at his face waiting for a reaction but he doesn't even flinch. I punch him at the side of his ribs, in the stomach, and kick him in the groin again, but nothing, not one millisecond of pain shows.

"I will always be stronger than you Tris." He smirks. Rage soars through my body, like the birds that attacked me in my dream and during simulations. I will not give up. I stomp on his feet and when I look back up it is Tobias again. He tilts his head back towards the ceiling with mouth open slightly and sighs, before looking back at me. "You need to learn to depend on me Tris. Love isn't about doing everything by yourself. Without me you are nothing." I smack him when he says that. I don't need Tobias or any man to look after me, I am brave, strong and independent. He bites his lip playfully and reaches behind him to pull out a small gun. I look at it and shake my head.

"You wouldn't dare." I say through gritted teeth.

Something pulls me out of the dream slowly,

When I open my eyes I feel Tabias shaking my arm to wake me up, but I push him off.

"Are you okay?" He asks casually, but his eyes are too intense for him to anything but serious.

"I am fine." I say a little too sharply. I pull myself to my feet and dust myself off.

I hear him walk over to the open door and walk over to him and hug him from behind. "Sorry" I whisper. "Just having nightmares." He looks down at me when I say that.

"About what?"

"I'll tell you when we get back. Promise."

The train starts to slow down, I am the first one to jump. When I hit the ground I take a few steps forward so the momentum doesn't hurt me

I feel a pang in my stomach from the thought of being so close to home. As much as the Daugntless is where I live and it is great there, it doesn't hold the memories of my childhood, nor my parents. Parent.

I start to walk to the street, away from the tracks.

The warm breeze guides gently across my skin. I look around, I can see now why they cut electricity at night, it isn't essential, even with the cloud cover the moon shines so bright.

It is only about half a mile before we reach the street I grew up in. I remember the day of my aptitude test, when Tori told me to walk home to think. The struggle in my mind between family, and an easy life, or feeling like I belong to something for once.

The houses look so bland compared to the rest of the city, yet in a way I think it is beautiful that they are content to live their lives in such a manor. Back in Seattle people used to put gnomes and flamingos, or little otters standing in the grass, it looked tacky. Here it is just immaculately cut lawns and plain post boxes, simple but perfect.

When we reach my house Caleb is holding the door open for us, he must have heard our footsteps although we tried to be as quite as possible to avoid prying ears. I know all too well that not everyone sticks to the whole don't be nosey rule, especially if they think nobody will catch them. When I walk in I hug Celeb quickly so the others can come inside, and make my way to the front room where my mum is knitting in a chair, using candles so she can see what she is doing. I smile. It has been a long time since I saw this sight. My mother puts down her knitting kneels and looks up, grinning. I walk over and embrace her.

We all sit and look at Celeb waiting for him, since he was the one who called us all here. But my mother speaks up.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice. Heaven knows what you Dauntless were up to. I have been talking to some members of the Abnegation, Caleb, Christina and Tobias" she looks at them in turn. "about the situation surrounding Johanna." My mother pauses before taking in a deep breath. "She seems to be quite a controversial figure. I acknowledge she didn't take a liking to Beatrice or Tobias right away."

Why was she calling him that? Nobody really calls Tobias, Tobias, apart from me, Marcus and his mother, and even then I call him Four in front of other people.

"However she also helped you escape the city. That is just one example. Caleb is now in Candor, and so has inside knowledge as to what is going on. Before you speak up about his reliability, I have been informed we can trust him." Tobias scoff and my mother glares at him. "If you don't want to hear what I have to say Tobias you can leave now."

The room is silent and he doesn't move so my mother continues. "Caleb has said that the Amity and Candor are not on good terms, which we all know is a little odd, they have actually been banned from the Amity compound, and cutting off supplies also. Tobias has said about the Divergent have been asked to go to Johanna" she looks at me. "I want you to go Beatrice. But it is up to you, and I know how stubborn you can be, but don't go, we may need you if something happens." Everyone turns to look at me.

At church we use to have to sit still for what seemed like ages. When I was four for a whole month I tried to get out of going. I faked being so ill that I couldn't get out of bed, I locked myself in the bathroom, and I cried and cried and cried. Nothing worked, but they couldn't force me to go, it was against the moral of the church. The only way they persuaded me to go was to let me stay up ten minutes later.

As much as this meeting is great for seeing my family I think, I still have no idea what is going on and it feels slightly pointless us risking getting told off to be here.

"What time is it Caleb?" Uriah asks.

"Ten past eleven."

I stand up. "We should get back before people see us missing." I warn.

We all stand up and say our goodbyes, I hold back for moment. My mother purses her lips.

"Please go to Amity Beatrice, Johanna will protect you." She pleads, I shake my head and she sighs in response. I look at her, really look at her, taking in the little lines around her eyes and the shadows beneath her eyes. She is so beautiful. She tucks a stray hair behind my ear before leading me to the door.

When I leave my house I see Tobias waiting for me at the end of the lawn and amble towards him. He takes my hand and we walk slowly down the street. Will, Uriah and Christina must have gone ahead without us.

I always thought I would end up in an Abnegation house, not far from my parents or Caleb, I would get married and have children. We would all sit down after dinner and listen about their day, I would teach them to knit and we would go to church. When actually I have almost died on numerous occasions, killed people myself. However I have discovered far more about my life than I would have, I think I may have fallen in love, I have friends, I can laugh and look in the mirror, each chocolate cake and run.

Tobias leads me to his old house and unlocks the door with the spare key on top of the doorframe. In Abnegation you never worry about being burgled or anything, it would be selfish, and also you would be causing pain to innocent people. When we enter I go upstairs to his room and he follows me. When I open the door there is just the moonlight, lay down on his bed. It smells like Tobias.

He comes and playfully shoves me over a bit so he can lay beside me and stretches his arm out, I use it to rest my head.

"You know Tris, you are no longer an initiate, you can stay out until whatever time you like." He smirks.

"Yeah sometimes I forget."

A few minutes go by, but we just cuddle before he turns on his side and props his head up with his hand and looks at me.

"What does a green grape say to the purple grape?" he raises his eyebrows and the corner of his lips raises in a faint smile, his eye bright and eager.

I bite my lip. "I don't know Tobias, what does the green grape say?"

"Breathe, idiot, breathe". A huge smile spreads across his face now, and he bursts out laughing trying to suppress the noise in my shoulder.

"That may just be the worst joke I have ever heard." But I laugh also.

Tobias suddenly stops laughing and looks at me in my eyes. I shift feeling uncomfortable.

"What are you nightmares about Tris?" I close my eyes and gulp. "You say my name bitterly in your sleep, as if you hate me" His eyes are sorrowful and pleasing. I cross my arm over my eyes but he pry's it away.

So I tell him about the Abnegation army, and him turning to into Eric, how he scares me in them, sometimes kills me. Even when I was in Seattle he was in my dreams. Everything just pours out.

I have never seen him look more hurt and it rips me apart, but he reaches over tilts my chin up to face him and he kisses me on the lips, soft and reassuring, and then tilts his forehead down to mine.

"I'm sorry." He whispers.

I shake my head and lean up a little to kiss him. "It isn't you fault." I say as I raise my hand to touch his jaw.

We spend that night sleeping in his room. In the morning when I wake he is not beside me. I get up and grab one of his grey t-shirts from his wardrobe and put on my jeans, and walk downstairs. The sun beams through the windows and I go to the living room and hear Tobias in the kitchen.

I rest against the doorframe watching him cook toast and make scrambled egg. He mixes milk, a little bit of butter, salt and pepper into the eggs.

He jumps when he sees me. Cheerily I say "Hi".

He walks over and grabs my hips pulling me towards him and kisses me, before going back to continue cooking.

"Where did all the food come from? Is Marcus here?" I ask suspiciously.

"No, I don't know where he is. But I popped round to your mom's house and asked if I could borrow some food." He doesn't look at me, his full attention on cooking.

"Borrow?" I smirk.

"Well, she said she I don't need to bring back more eggs and bread, but you know me Prior, I will give her the eggs and bread back. I will not steal from the mother of my girlfriend." When he says girlfriend he looks up as if to gage for my response. I grin. This time it wasn't me who mentioned anything about us being in a relationship.

He finishes cooking and we eat on the settee, something both of us would have dreamed on doing when we were little.

I take a bite of the food. "How is it?" Tobias says a little too easily to justify cooking scrambled eggs on toast.

"You know if your career as a Dauntless leader doesn't work out you can be a cook." I state trying to be serious.

He stops eating and raises his eyebrows. "You know I am a Dauntless leader?"

I nod. "Yeah Christina told me" I reply, shoving a forkful of scrambled egg into my mouth.

The scrambled egg is actually really yummy.

"Oh okay. Do you mind?"

"Why would I mind?" I reply.

Tobias shrugs and after a while says "So about Mel."

I wasn't going to say anything, I didn't want to pry but I do want to know what is so special about her.

"She is Divergent." He looks at me wide eyed.

"Okay, and your point is?" I say sharply. Just because she is divergent, why is she getting to stay in our faction?

"If there is another conflict, we need as many divergents as we can get, because of their immunity to a lot of serums."

"So why did you ask if I wanted to leave?"

"I don't want you to die Tris, I almost lost you too many times already."

I smile gently. "That is really sweet, but I don't get why you stay stuff like that, you know I wouldn't leave you." I pause awkwardly. "…again." I sigh and look up but he just nods and takes the plates to the kitchen to wash up. I stand up quickly and run to beat him, passing him just before the doorway. Although I am not in Abnegation anymore I still have manners. I run the hot water and fill the sink up.

After washing the dishes, we leave the house, retuning the key where we found it and go back to the Dauntless headquarters.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

When we arrive back at Dauntless headquarters I search for Christina to help me chose some clothes to wear. I find her in the cafeteria with Will. When she sees me she waves and I slide down opposite her.

"So I was thinking that you might want to come clothes shopping with me?" I suggest.

Her eyes open wide with excitement. "Yes!" She shovels a bite of her pancake in her mouth quickly, holding her index finger up at me. She swallows. "let me just finish this though."

"I will look after it and give it to you later." Will says smugly.

Christina scowls, "I can't trust you with my pancakes." And with that she eats the last piece, stands up and brushes her hands over the plate.

We walk to the clothes shop where Christina makes me try on all types of clothes, new dresses, t-shirts, shorts, and jeans.

I come out with a handful of items and we walk back down to the Pit, and pass through it.

It was about this time when we were initiates when Eric made Christina hang over the Chasm. I look over at it as we pass by. When we get to out corridor I hear a familiar, the voice echoing. It is Peter. I take in a deep breath and round the corner. He is talking to a girl I don't know but when he sees me he stops.

"Tris, I need to talk to you." Peter says sheepishly, he grabs my wrist gently, his eyes pleading.

"Okay, but I am busy right now. Maybe in a few days I will try to find you." He nods, as if he was not expecting that answer, and neither was I.

I hang my clothes in my room whilst Christina fixes her hair in the mirror. I change my jeans to a pair of black leggings, made especially for fighting and running, along with a t-shirt that hugs the body. I would have never picked these out in my wildest dreams. I tie my hair up in a ponytail.

I hear a gasp and turn round wondering what is wrong, but Christina claps her hands. "You look great Tris. Tonight you can wear that and just a black fleece."

I almost forgot tonight is the paintball fight, I wonder whose team I will be on and if we will win.

"Good idea." I smile. "I am going to find Tobias, want to come?"

Christina shakes her head. "I am going to go for a run."

I walk towards the training room and find Tobias escorting an injured boy. They must have been fighting. Something in my stomach twists at the thought of seeing people beat each other up.

Tobias sees me and flashes a grin.

"Do you need any help with training Four?" I say looking at the boy. He has a broken nose by the looks of it, and is holding his side.

"No, I have it under control." I nod and turn around.

I walk to the Chasm and watch the water hitting the rocks repeatedly, feeling the sound of the crashes through my chest.

There is a lot I can do, but nothing I particularly want to do, so I just walk around for a while.

I stop. I have a choice between going back to my room and resting for a few hours tonight, or going up the stairs to the fear landscape.

I go up the stair. When I get to the outside of the simulation room I realise I need the injection. I look around. It is basically an empty hallway apart from the door to watch on the tvs. I turn around before realising I missed a door. To the far right is a metal door with a tiny window. I go inside. A dim light switches on automatically and I see a few cupboards and fridges. I open a wooden cupboard and see packets of syringes, I grab one. I then open one of the fridges. It is full entirely of small bottles with orange liquid inside, on each one they are labelled 'Simulation Serum'. I take one and place it on the counter, I then take the needle from the packaging before inserting it into the bottle and drawing the liquid out of it. Once emptied I find a small plastic bin shoved in the corner of the room and chuck the bottle in it, it clinks against what I presume is the other serums. I hold the injection and walk out of the room and wait outside the simulation, I then inject it into my neck and put the discarded syringe in a metal bin that is used for this purpose.

I step inside the simulation room and the lights flicker on. I falter towards the middle of the room, and the lights shut down.

I am standing in a field, there is no wind but I hear wind. I know this simulation, it is the crows. I take in a deep breath, and close my eyes. I grit my teeth in preparation. The unquestionable noise gets louder with the squawks and screeching. I remember this time there was no bird at the beginning, no warning. At that thought the birds are around me. I cover my hands to shield my face from their wings. The pecking starts, just one at first but it soon turns into hundreds. Jabbing at my skin. I peer through a finger and see nothing but black. I need to breathe, I have done this many times now I know what to do. Relax. A raven screeches in my ear and I jolt my body away, but trip over birds that are circling me, and land on the ground. I need to get up, or it is just another way for them to peck at me. When I push up with my hand from the floor a crows head appears from the ground, slowly wriggling itself out from the dirt that surrounds its small but powerful body. I push myself up quickly before it has time to nip my hands. I try and breathe through my nose but there is no air. I try again, nothing. It feels like the birds have created some sort of vacuumed. I grit my teeth and open my lips so suck in some, nothing. A rush of panic streaks through my body.

This is just a simulation. I am in the fear landscape room and this is a simulation. When I breathe through my nose again there is air, but not much of it. I claw at the birds to get off, but it just makes them peck harder and harder. Breathe in and out I remind myself.

The pecking stops.

Next is the tank scene, but this time my mother and Caleb are watching also, and after that is the ocean, followed by almost being burnt at the streak, and the fists banging on my old window. Then is the fear of my family dying, but my dad isn't in the room and I am sitting in his seat. Caleb is pointing the gun at me and my mother. Jeanine Mathews is behinds resting her delicate hand on his shoulder, her smile is wicked. I head a click and turn to look at my brother. The boy that would help me do my homework if I was stuck when I was little, the boy that held my hand at the hospital, and that I had saved his life for was now pointing the gun barrel at my head. I swallow hard. In the other position my family was saying it was okay if I shot them, so that I could live, but sitting tied up in the chair, I don't want to die, or my mother to die. I can't look at Caleb.

"Fire!" Jeanine screams.

But he doesn't.

I think of a knife, and the next moment a cold metal object appears in my right hand, using my left I feel it, it is a knife. I cut the rope tying me to the chair, and it falls to my lap, I stand and let it fall to my feet. Holding the long knife in one hand I run at Jeanine, but it seems to take forever to reach her, like everything is in slow motion. When I do though she covers her face and neck, and I launch the object into her stomach and twist it on the way in, maximising the impact. I stumble back a few paces in shock. Tobias looks at me with open mouth.

The lighting resets.

I am in the Dauntless compound, in the centre of the Pit. I see Christina talking to Tori and walk over to them. They don't acknowledge me but they look at me. I wait for them to say something but they don't. I walk towards the cafeteria and everyone stops to stares at me, any conversations that were happening have stopped. I feel awkward and nervous. I see Tobias and head towards his table, he is sitting with Zake. I smile, but they both have a disgusted look on their face. My heart pounds. What is wrong with me? How do I get out of this simulation? I run out of the cafeteria and go back to my room. I run straight to the mirror. I am not me. I am Eric. I panic. What is happening? I look down at my body, it looks like mine to me but in the mirror it isn't me. My skin has scars, and tattoos, I have short hair, and pierced ears. I look down at my hands, they are covered in blood. This fear must be that I will become Eric, killing innocent people. Like I almost killed Will, and if I forgave Al, maybe him too. My stomach twists. I curl up in a ball, closing my eyes, feeling only my body and breathe. After I feel my panic subside.

The light turn on and the room turns back to normal. I collapse on the floor but drag myself to a wall. After what seems like only a few seconds, but realistically is probably about half an hour I get up and stumble out of the Fear Landscape, and walk slowly to my room, feeling to drained to talk let alone look at anyone on the way back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

I feel someone shaking my arm violently. I make a noise to let them know I am in fact alive and turn my body away from the person. I hear footsteps walking around my bed and tense my body in unknown anticipation as to what they plan on doing. I peak open my right eye a little and Christina is standing over me. She shakes my shoulders so violently that my head jolts off the pillow.

"Get up" She whispers.

I sigh heavily before opening my eyes to look at her. "Why?" I ask, my voice croaked.

"Paintball" a grin shoots across her face and her eyes light up.

Blood surges through my veins and I sit up abruptly, just avoiding Christina's chin.

"Get changed, we need to wake the initiates up!"

I jump to my feet, I am still wearing clothes from earlier, perfect. I grab my fleece that is hanging on the wardrobe handle and pull it over my shoulders. I didn't realise I was cold until now.

When we walk out of my room people swarm the corridor, like ants, silent but fast. People are moving crates labelled "paintballs", and two people carrying the flags. I didn't realise how much effort goes into this event. They must be bringing all the stuff through here to take it the back root so the initiates don't know.

I see Tobias with a clip board and walk over with Christina. He glances up at us smiling. He scratches the back of his neck, his t-shirt clinging to him, his muscles on display.

"You ready to wake the recruits up?" Tobias says looking at both of us. "Christina can you go wake up Dauntless born?" She nods and walks away.

Tobias rocks on the heels of his feet, his hands tucked into his trouser pockets.

"Do you think you will be climbing the Ferris wheel this year, I would like some time to prepare if so."

I look at him and squint. "What makes you think I will be in your team?"

He raises his eyebrows "Because me and Zake did rock paper scissors."

"Zake's a leader?" I ask

"Yes. I won the bet. You won the flag for us last time so it would be silly not to pick you. You use your brain more than your mouth, which is a rarity around here." He smirks at me but I roll my eyes.

He pushes himself forward and almost stumbles into me, and gestures for me to follow him. He puts his index finger over his lips and we tiptoe down the corridor of the initiate dorm. Tobias stands beside the door to let me go in first.

I push open the door to be greeted by the sound of snoring and the faint smell of hairspray and deodorant. Someone knew about the paintball fight. I scan the room for signs of movement. My eyes are drawn to a small boy sleeping in the bed nearest the door, his eyes flicker under the eyelids, and his unsteady breath gives him away.

I walk over to him and shake him slightly, his eyes open like lightning. I shove my hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking and shove him out the room. Tobias follows him. No initiate is allowed any advantage of the others, it is cheating. He will be on a warning, one more questionable act and he will be out. I turn on the lights and they flicker for a moment. The bright light doesn't shock my eyes, but I can see it had the desired effect on some of the sleeping teenagers in front of me.

"GET UP!" I shout.

Groans echo off the stone wall and small body's slowly arise from their beds.

"QUICKLY."

Someone in the back bottom bunk is not rising. I walk over, heavy footed and pull the sheets off. The boy removes his head from the pillow to look at me. For a second I would have sworn it was Al. I stumbled back a few paces before regaining control over myself.

"Do you think the rules do not apply to you?"

He jumps up from his bed.

"Sorry." I nod and walk back to the front of the room, as I do Tobias comes back in.

"Be by the train track in five minutes. Anyone who doesn't come will be factionless before the sun rises." Tobias speaks, loudly but firm.

We walk out of the room.

"What happened to the boy?" I ask

"He will be integrated to who told him. He is sitting in the canteen waiting."

We make our way to the tracks and stand with Zake, Christina, Will, and a few others I have seen around and smile at them in acknowledgement.

Tobias tells them of the boy who knew, and they all share guesses as to who it was. I just stare in the distance, soaking up the night, waiting for a light to appear to tell me to get ready to run and jump.

Tobias looks at his watch. "They have one minute. This may be a very small game of paintball." But just as she says that I hear one set of footsteps and turn round. It is Hetty. Her hair in abnegation style. I purse my lips. She should have learnt by now it doesn't look good if you are trying to impress your new faction to dress like your old one.

Hetty looks so small in the light, she has no obvious muscles. I wonder how she did in fighting, if she ended up in a hospital bed like I did the first time.

A few seconds later an abundance of initiates jog up to us. Zeke doesn't wait until they are all standing still before he gives the orders to get a gun. A few scuffles take place, but in true dauntless fashion nobody breaks it up. I hear the train and turn round to see a small light glowing in the distance. As it comes close I start to jog, my head looking back searching for an empty carriage.

"Third from the back" Zake says from beside me.

When the carriage is beside me I grab the handle and easily pull myself up. I am the first one on the train. Next is Zake, then Uriah, Tobias and Christina. The initiates struggle to get on, their weapons getting in the way. Some fall off, others cling for dear life. But none of us help them. This is all part of initiation and I need to learn that. Nobody was left behind though, eventually they clambered on board and sat down. I and the other members stand in a line. I look at Tobias, his eyes scanning everyone as they talk. He is looking at their bodies.

After a few minutes I zone out, looking at the landscape out of the carriage rushing by. So fast my eyes don't really know what they are looking at, but they know it is something spectacular.

It suddenly becomes quite and I turn to look at everyone who is paying full attention onto Zake and Tobias, they are choosing their teams. Isaac is taken by Zake, Hetty by Tobias, Mel by Zake, and a few others I recognise from training them to shoot, but I don't care to pay much attention.

I feel a hand placed on the small of my back. "Time to jump, ready?" Tobias whispers in my ear.

I nod and make my way to the front of the cart, climbing over nervous people that sit before me. Just as I feel the train slowing down I jump, and run two paces before stopping. I turn round to see Tobias getting off with our team. They are just like I thought they would like, small but agile.

"I can't believe we have to be on a team with them" A little petit boy grumbles.

A tall lanky boy replies sharply "What do you mean? Tobias is amazing, and Tris, she basically saved the city!" I scoff at that. They have no idea, it was never only me. However my ego is temporarily boosted by the quiet but wide spread agreement that in fact we are "basically superheroes". For such a small age gap my tolerance is running remarkably low for this group.

Tobias crosses his arms and stands beside me, close, maybe a little too close. I step to my left a step to increase the distance. The irony in this action that when I did this activity I realised I liked Tobias, I wanted to be close to him, and now I step away. I don't want to become reliant on anyone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"So decide on a plan" Tobias says to the recruits.

They all huddle round and debate plans they think will win them the flag.

I look at the ferries wheel, they must have repaired it after the trouble had ended, but it lies dormant, rust starting to creep up the spine holding the structure in place, and moss growing in the shadows. It is being reclaimed by Mother Nature, and yet it is far from nature due to the white painted bolts, or the most likely weathered leather seats.

The recruits start to move. I look for Hetty or Isaac but they are gone into the shadows of the night, and the flag has disappeared with them. Some recruits scatter into trees, bushes, and others start to walk slowly, quietly, around the ferris wheel. I follow this group for a moment but peel off. Like before I climb the metal structure. Everything is far more firm than last time. As I climb, concentrating on the footholds that will save me from death I try to hear if someone is below me. Creaking sounds. It must be Tobias. I hold myself firm against a metal beam and glance down casually. I can only see there head, and in the light I can't even recognise their hair colour. I look up and fumble around for the next bar. I climb quickly now, worried it may in fact be the enemy.

When I get to the top I pull myself up and roll to the left. I grab my gun and point it in the space the person will emerge. I hear someone struggling and slowly move to peer over the edge, my gun aimed down.

"What is your name?" I whisper.

"Hetty." The girl says exhausted.

I reach over pull her up, grabbing onto her arm. Once she is over her face is pale.

"Why did you follow me?" I whisper.

In truth I didn't come up to look for the flag, or signs of light, I came up to think, by myself.

"To look for the flag with you." She replies softly.

I nod and look over in the direction of where the flag was last time. I don't look in any other spot, I just gaze at the trees, remembering Seattle.

I don't miss it, but I miss my friends there. I was just an ordinary person, I wasn't the stiff who jumped first, or the girl who turned herself in to her own execution, I wasn't divergent, or any of that. I was 'Be', a new name for a new city which I will never return to.

"There" Hetty says and a finger jolts out pushing my view to the swing ride. There are people sitting on the seats, a single torch seemed to have give their game away.

Something seems odd. They aren't holding their weapons right. My heart stops.

"Where are Four and the rest of the group." I ask quickly.

She points to some trees just below us.

"We need to get down. We need to warn them." I say Climbing over the edge.

"No we need to shoot them!" Hetty exclaimed. "We can win this"

"No they aren't playing." I say, my words jumbling up in the rush to get them out.

It seems to take forever to reach the bottom, I almost lose my footing a few times.

As I turn to look behind me once I reach the bottom in preparation to find Tobias I see Christina standing, her gun pointed at me.

"I knew you would be up their Tris! But I waited for you to come down so I could see myself the blue paint splat against you." She laughed.

"No no, Christina we were up there" She pulls the trigger and the paint runs across my top. "Christina, there are people here with guns who aren't playing." I blurt out.

She freezes.

I hear Hetty climb down beside me.

"We need to find Four, Zake, Uriah and warn them. We need to tell the initiates." I say as we start to jog in the bushes.

I keep my eyes peeled for signs of movement. Just up a head I see Tobias, lying on the floor looking through the sight, but when he hears us he swings the gun towards us grinning.

He scowls when he sees Christina and keeps the gun trained on her.

"There are people here with guns, who aren't playing." I pant. "They are by the swing ride."

He looks puzzled at us. "How do you know they are not ours from up there?" he points to the ferris wheel. I guess it is not a secret I would head up there.

"They weren't holding their weapons right. I just… know." I say exhausted.

He has to trust me, after everything I was right about.

"Are you sure." He says cautiously as if I will explode.

"YES!" Hetty shouts. I clamp my hand over her mouth and glare at her. How could she be so stupid? People are here to possibly kill us and she shouts out?

Tobias gets up slowly and grabs something behind his back and brings a gun, a small but powerful gun, the same type that was in training and hands it to me.

I clasp my hands around the object, it is warm from Tobias.

I run out of the bushes towards the back of the swing ride.

"We are going to get in so much trouble if they find us here." A boy says. I can only see his hand.

"Na they won't find us, and if they do what can they do?" Another boy chuckles. I step onto the metal reflective surface and quietly sneak round. The boys are looking out into the nights, and I am looking at the back of their heads. I lift my gun slowly.

"I have a gun, and don't think I won't shoot you" I whisper quietly. Their backs stiffen in response. "What faction are you from? You are not Dauntless, you are holding your guns wrong."

"Erudite" The boy who was so sure no one would find him says.

"What are you doing here with the guns then?" I spit.

I hear footsteps behind me and turn, swinging my gun in that direction. It is Zake.

"Get up." He demands.

The two boys shoot up from their seats, still not turning around to look at us. Zake pulls the white arm band loose from around my arm, and places it over the eyes of the boy on the left, and removes his own and places it over the boy on the right.

I clasp the left boys arms together behind his back, my gun resting on the back of his head. When we emerge into the clearing everyone has their paintball guns trained onto the boys. Christina takes Zakes boy from him so he can discuss with Tobias what to do.

Why do they have guns? The Erudite do not own guns to my knowledge, only Dauntless.

The initiates are quiet, watching us.

"Are there more of you?" I whisper into the ear of the boy.

He shakes his head. "No. We wanted to do some shooting practice, then we saw you arrive and we just were going to sit and watch."

"Shooting practice?" Christina says gasping at me.

The boy in front of her tries to wriggle from her grass, so she kicks him in the groin. He keels over, but she doesn't let him go. The initiates start cheering.

If people were watching us we must look like savages.

Tobias and Zake walk over.

"We are going to take them back to our headquarters. They will be blinded. We will lock them up and decide what to do. All of the members who are not initiates will have a say." The initiates grown and try to argue back, but Tobias eyes light up in anger and everyone goes quiet. We run back to the train tracks. I hope the Erudite boy in front of me, he trips a few times but I just pull him up by his shirt collar.

When the train hurtles towards us we start to run. Tobias helps me shove the boy into the cart and I climb on after. Myself and Christina sit them away from each other, our guns trained on them at all times.

A few of the Dauntless born spit on the boy beside me.

"Stop that!" I shout at them over the roar of the metal on metal and the noise of talking about what should happen to them.

"We are just having fun Tris." One says.

When we get back to the headquarters they are placed in two separate rooms on each side of the building, security swamps the halls and the outside when the other leaders were told about what we found. What I found.

A meeting is called for every member to go to The Pit imminently. The initiates are locked into their dorms, and the old Dauntless members are brought over from their wing to participate in the vote.

Zake stands on the same box that Eric stood on upon discovery of Als body. I look to the left of it where the object was hauled over the side.

He clears his throat before explaining what the options are.

We return them to their factions imminentlyWe keep them for now, and get information as to why the Erudite now have weapons.We kill them.

People chat about the options, but suddenly everything goes quiet. I look up and around at the crowd and back to Zake who stands before us, his arms crossed, his face calm and collected.

"We take a vote, one per person, only one hand, your vote is final." He bellows. It echoes off the walls and turns into a creepy distorted version of Zake.

Nobody puts their hands up for number one, not surprising really. For two hands shoot up around me, and I find myself holding up mine. Lauren counts the array of tattooed arms. Then three, the same number of people seem to put their arms up. After a moment of counting Lauren whispers something into Zakes ear and he nods.

"It is decided. We keep them for now, and get information as to why the Erudite now have weapons. Once we have our information another vote will be cast about what to do with the boys." Zake announces.

"Throw them in the Chasm!" a young man exclaims, I turn round at the familiar voice. It was Peter. I catch his eye and his face sheds of any colour that was once there.

Everyone wither began drinking, went to bed, or were up for security shift.


	13. Chapter 13

When I wake up the next morning I get up, dressed and walk to the initiates training room, but when I arrive they aren't there. I don't see why they would need to take them to the fence like we had to, as there is nothing to hide anymore. I walk to the canteen and see Tori sitting on a table so I walk over to her.

"Hey, have you seen Four anywhere?" I ask inquisitively

She looks up from her pancakes at me "at a meeting, he will be back later." She smiles and takes another bite.

"Where is the meeting?" I question

"At The Hub."

I nod and walk away. I decide that I will see if I can speak to the boys, to try and find out what they were doing. As I walk to level eight through a back entrance I am greeted by two guards holding guns.

A tall pale man with spots covering his face shakes his head and holds a hand out, palm facing me.

"I just want to speak to one of the boys" I inform, trying to sound self important.

He is chewing on some gum and raises his eyebrows "no can do. You are not a Dauntless leader, therefore you have no right to even be on this floor. I roll my eyes at that.

The other guard smiles at me, a crooked smile. He is muscular and tall, tanned with perfect white teeth. He has a small lobe piercing in his right ear. "Yeah well I am sure we can make an exception Brian." He shoves Brian's arm with his elbow.

"I don't know Rich, you know what Four said." Brian says to his friend.

Rich looks from his friend back to me. I raise my eyebrows impatiently. "Four is banging her." He bites the inside of his cheek.

What business is it that I am doing stuff with Tobias? How does he even know? I can feel my anger rising.

"You are her?" Brian's eyes widen with disbelief.

"Who?" I say sharply.

"Tris Prior" Rich says. "Haven't you grown up, from the days of the Stiff. You look good." He nods as if I satisfy his eyes.

I sigh. "So are you letting me through those doors?"

Rich steps back and opens the door for me.

I walk through and guards are pacing the corridor, their shoes coming into contact with the floor every half a second. When they see me they stop and draw their guns.

"It's fine, let her see the boys" Rich says behind me. He pushes me forward on the small of my back and a shiver erupts over my body.

I look at him and he catches my eye, nodding me to go forward. I look back at the guards who are now standing looking at me. I walk forward. My breaths sound dynamic in a room so stiff and cold. As I reach the end another guard opens a door for me. Another corridor. I take another right, and left before I reach the room.

I peer through a small window with wire squares lining it in a wide metal door. Inside is a petit boy is curled up on a metal framed bed. He is wearing a black boiler suit but he looks so frail and small in the room that it seems to engulf every drop of his being. A guard unlocks the door with an array of keys and he pushes it open.

The room is warm, toasty.

He looks up at me "I'm sorry, please let me go" he begs, a single tear travels down slowly from his left eye, before a sobbing noise is released form his mouth, bouncing off the walls, making that one sob seem like he is about to die. If some of them Dauntless had their way he would be.

I stand there staring at him until he shuts up, and his body stops shivering.

"I am not going to kill you. What is your name?" I ask softly, trying to coax information out of him.

"Aiden" He whispers.

I nod. "Well Aiden, I need some information, do you think you will be able to help me? It is really important, and if you don't release it they will kill you." I state.

I slide down the wall, and land on the white tiles, I am just the height to look him in the eyes and not be threating.

"So. Why does the _Erudite_ have weapons? Only the Dauntless should have them?" I ask.

He shakes his head slowly. Defiantly.

"Do you want them to kill you Aiden? Do you want that?" I spit. He flinches in response and curls up closer to his legs.

"The hub." Aiden hinted.

I scowl. "What about it."

"The faction leaders, they are at the hub. You need to go to the hub." My eyes widen with confusion.

"I am not a leader Aiden." I say calmly.

"You might be soon if you don't go now."

"Why are you telling me this" I ask, scrambling to my feet.

"I wanted to be Dauntless, so badly but my family wouldn't let me. I also don't want you to kill me." He says smiling.

I nod and back away. "Take guns. That is all I know, I swear." Aiden tells me as I exit the room.

I run down the corridors, my feet pounding against the tile floors. The security must hear me coming because every door is open.

"Everything ok Tris?" One says to me. I wave him off. I have no time to explain to them. I need to find Uriah and Christina and get to the hub.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Rich raises his eyebrows when he sees me coming. I stop, my heart pounding against my chest, demanding more air and to release the carbon dioxide that is pulsing through my system.

"I need guns." I command. A concerned look sweeps across his face.

"You can't kill him Tris, we all decided on it." He speaks softly, resting his hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off.

"Not for him. Where do I get guns?" My voice is sharp, annoyed.

Brian begins to speak but I don't have time to listen, I run down the stairs until I get to the Pit. I run through the people talking and drinking. My eyes searching for my friends. I run to the canteen and look towards our table, there are a few initiates sitting there so I run over, perhaps they know where Uriah, or Christina are.

When I reach the table Hetty, Isaac and a few others are eating hot dogs, laughing and joking. A spark of anger tears through me. How dare they be laughing, joking, when something is happening. They look up at me.

Hetty puts down her hot dog and tilts her head to the side a bit like a confused puppy.

"You okay Tris?" She says, trying to be reassuring.

"Do you know where Tori, Christina or Uriah are?" I pant out.

They all shake their heads. My heart drops and shoulders slump.

Hetty stands up. "I'll help you find them, okay?" She smiles gently and grabs my hand.

We run to my friends rooms, the Cazen, Control room, but I can't find them. When we get back down to the pit she stands, resting her arms on her knees to help keep herself up, but I have no time to wait around. Where will there be guns? Where would they keep them?

The training room.

I run down the corridor that has become so familiar, not needing to look at the ground like I once did.

I burst through the doors and scan the room for a gun, not even one is lying about. When I look again I see a door, shaped into the rock, almost invisible in the dark unlit area at the back. I jog over and pull on the metal handle, but it is locked. I feel the rough fake stone material attempting to hide the door, and kick it hard, it disintegrates the moment my foot comes into contact, and hole appears I bend down to peer through but another metal door is behind it. I kick and punch until the entire door is showing and hear someone enter the room, I turn around and see Isaac running towards me, Hetty behind. When he gets closer he chucks something at me, I catch it. A key.

I turn around and shove the object in the lock, the door clicks open and an automatic light inside shines. I pull the door, it is heavy, but I am strong now so it isn't hard. I take a step inside. It is lined with metal shelves from floor to ceiling, boxes upon boxes are stacked on each other. I walk in, it is small, only one person can fit at the hip, and maybe four long. I pull a random box, it is filled with bullets. I take it and hand it to Isaac behind me. I take five more off the shelves and start looking for the guns.

I would have missed it if it wasn't for the tiny ray of light to just hit the metal. A glass cabinet is skilfully hidden in a corner of the room. I walk over and open it. I touch one of the weapons carefully and pick it up. I turn around and hand it to Isaac who passes it to Hetty, then hand one for him, and turn back and get one for myself.

I turn around abruptly and Hetty shoves a backpack at my chest. I open it, it has a torch, a knife, rope and a few other things in it. I put some of the bullets in it, and gently wedge the cold gun in between my trousers and skin and pull my t-shirt over it.

Looking up I scan the initiates faces. I know their emotion, I sometimes felt it. Fear.

I shift past them in the doorway and sprint out of the room, I soon hear their footsteps as I tear through the corridors. People jump out of the way. Running to the tracks I see a light in the distance, the train. My feet, so fast I almost don't touch the ground.

When we reach the tracks we are only stationary for a moment before the train zooms past us, I search desperately for an open cart, but there is none. Not a single one is open.

I run and grab onto a handle that is screwed to a cart. Holding my weight I claw at the door, for it to slide open, but this door is too heavy. There is a ledge on top of it though, my hands scramble for stability. My fingers suddenly grasp onto it, like magnets. I push with all my strength up, and lift my right leg, it meets contact with the top of the train.

I tumble onto the roof of the cart, landing on my back looking up at the sky. The clouds are so beautifully, and fluffy in the ocean of blue that masks the deep dark pitless sky. The sky that has seen man kill one another in search for equality, and acceptance. The same sky that every year watches flowers blossom and die then blossom again. Nature is both divine and disgusting.

I sit up, the wind hits my back with a thud and the breath wheezes out of me. Air tearing through my hair.

I peer over the side, and it is only then that I notice the initiates are nowhere to be seen. They did not make it upon the train. I look around at the landscape, and in the distance I see the Dauntless compound growing smaller by the second.

I sit there for a while, taking in the buildings that sweep past me. The faded signs hinting at the life before the experiment.

After a while I turn not realising how close I was to the Hub. I could stay on the train, waiting for it to slow down and then jump off, however it would be a risk of getting caught up in something when I don't really know what is going on, or jumping off the train going at high speeds and possibly getting injured.

I pull the cord to tighten my backpack and shift to the side of the cart, my feet dangling off. One. Two. Thr- I throw myself off, curling into a ball. I hit the ground with a hard thud and roll for a few seconds before coming to a stop. I open my eyes slowly. I am right at the side of the track, I need to move for shelter. The buildings looming over me create a slight shadow, but not enough. I scramble to my feet. Just behind me is a small alleyway with bins pressed against the wall. As I walk into it the pungent smell of gone off meat hits me, saliva forms in my mouth warning me of the imminent sick that will arise. I crawl in between to huge metal bins and see some blood on the ground. I'm confused, whose blood is it? I catch sight of my arm. The top layer of skin is scraped off completely from my elbow to my wrist revealing a soft spongy layer of skin, blood running in between my fingers and trickling off them slowly. The adrenaline seems to stop suddenly and the pain rips through my arm. Bile spews up my neck and into my mouth. I gag but refuse to be sick.

I reach for my backpack and dig inside with my right arm, holding my left away from my body to avoid the blood staining my clothes. Right at the bottom is an assortment of bandages, and just beside is a pack of antiseptic wipes. I tear one open and carefully place the small damp towel to my cut. I clench my jaw and squeeze my eyes shut. When done I wrap the bandage around my arm, and place a small tape to keep it from coming loose. I shove everything back into my backpack.

I stop automatically at the sound of something further down the alley. My hand drawing to my side slowly I feel for my weapon. The metal comes into contact with my hand. I lean forward past a bin and see a shadow of a person. They are eating something, blissfully unaware of my existence. A few moments later he walks into the building beside me, the butchers.

I get up and jog quietly to a black metal staircase that is attached to the butcher's wall. I step up onto the first step, testing the stability but most importantly how noisy it is. However due to the recent refurbishment it is silent. One by one I ascend the five floor stairwell, holding my gun close to my chest.

When I reach the top I can see the windows of the glass giant buildings that tower over the little brick ones.

A small wall is built on top of the butchers and I step over it. When I place my foot upon the ground I hear a crunch and freeze. As I look down I draw a quick intake of breath, my eyes so wide they could pop out. My head spins.

I lift my foot and move it a little further forward and push my weight onto it. I turn around slowly and look down at the body which lays before me. I stepped on the little boy's finger. He looks only about nine. The gravel which lays to help evaporate the rain is covered in moss, and surrounds the boy.

I sweep the hair out of his face and close his eyes. It is then I notice a small badge in the shape of a circle sewn upon a blue band on his left shoulder. Nobody I have seen, from any faction wears this symbol.

I stand up and turn around and begin to walk to the end of the roof. Only a few building rooftops away is The Hub.


	15. Chapter 15

I look over the side of the building, three blue Land Rovers are parked outside of The Hub and one guard is pacing back and forth holding a gun across his chest.

I slowly move to the end of the roofs and the giant building is before me. Various panes of glass are smashed, when I look into the rooms it is just offices.

I calculate the distance I would be able to jump, but there is no way I will be able to make it. I peer over this edge and nobody is outside. With a moment that Archimedes would be proud of I grab my rucksack and pull it open, not bothering with the zippers. Right at the bottom is some rope. I pull it out and search the roof for something to tie it too, and then a hook which must usually be used for signs or crap like that, but today it will stop me from plummeting to my death. I attach the rope and fling the remaining over the edge of the building. When I peer over the side there is about a 6ft drop. Easy.

I grab the rope and ease slowly over the edge, and slowly make my way down, when I reach the end of the rope I let go. I don't have time to roll and land straight on my feet, pain surges up my feet to my shins, thighs spine and ripples to my legs and head. There is no time to stop. Before me is a side entrance to The Hub.

I walk up carefully, like it is about to explode and place my ear on the metal door. I can hear voices but can't make out what they are saying.

My heart begins to pound, and my I start to feel dizzy. This is one of the first times I actually don't have a plan. I need to get in there but I don't want to die. I have no clue if there even is something going on in the building, and if so where they would be in it. I have had obstacles in front of me so far but now The Hub is here. My skins are so sore, along with my arm. I have limited bullets. The rope is left up there and I have no way to get it down.

I let out a shaky breath. I must stop. Focus. I hear running to my left, and draw my weapon, however it is only then I realise it is a little boy. He carries on running despite having a gun aimed at him. Two girls follow him, doing hopscotch moves along the alley. The boy stops in front of me my gun still aimed at him.

"What are you doing here?" He says, eyeing me suspiciously.

"None of your business." I say sharply.

The girls come over now, their long hair tied in plats.

"What is going on in there" I say gesturing to The Hub with my gun.

The boy and two girls just shrug.

They are all factionless, but look so clean and pretty wearing bright clothes, and have no restrictions. The boy fishes in his pocket and hands me a badge, it is in the shape of a circle.

One of the girls with pink bows in her hair speaks up "Have you seen my brother? He is 8, but tall for his age and has this" she points to the little boys badge he is holding out for me. "He was playing on the roofs, but we aren't allowed up there." I gasp, the breath catching in my throat.

"You have seen him haven't you, is he okay?" She says, smiling. Her smile is so beautiful, even though there are numerous gaps where her teeth have fallen out, and the few adult teeth at the front make it look goofy it just suits her.

"We are going to have a water fight!" The little boy announces. The girl with the pink ribbons shoves her hand over his mouth.

"Isn't water rationed?" I ask

"Uhm yes, we aren't really though." Her eyes are wide, worried.

I smile gently. "I won't tell. Promise."

The girl that was quite speaks up "You are the girl aren't you?"

"I don't know." I say honestly.

"Tris" She speaks, twirling her finger over the end bit of the plats.

I nod.

It is weird that people know my name, I was so plain before, and even people in my classes whom I had gone to school with since I was little didn't recognise me.

The children start whispering to one another, too hushed to know what they are saying but excited tones, then they stop and look at me, like they are waiting for me to say something.

I bite my lip and shift my eyes behind them. A toddler, about two years old comes bolting down the alley, so fast for someone with little dumpy legs. When it reaches us the older girl grabs the child and shifts it on her hip like a mother would do.

"We know why you are here, to get inside The Hub." The older girl says.

I don't respond.

"Don't go through that door." She points to the door I was listening in to. "The guards hang out there. If you need to get in and don't want people to notice you go through the main entrance." All of them nod in agreement, even the baby.

I raise my eyebrows "No, you don't understand, people have gone in there, with guns, I don't want to die."

I hear a woman's shriek, this time not from The Hub, but from the building I had just dropped down from. She has seen the boy.

The children look at each other, and run off in search of the person who is now sobbing over and over and over again "No, No, No, No."

I walk out of the ally like the children suggested, the land rovers are still there and the guard outside pacing, but stops when he sees me and walks over.

"Tris Prior." He says smiling. "How are you, what are you doing here?"

"Do I know you?"

"Ah, we had English together. James. You look so different. Word on the street is you are shagging that guy Four." A disgusting smile creeps across his face. "Never thought you would lose your virginity, you just seemed too" he pauses "stiff". He erupts in laughter.

Before I can stop myself my fist collides with his chin, and my knee raises kicking him in the groin. He peels over. I step back stunned with myself.

"Bitch" He manages to wheeze out. But again I find myself not being able to control my own body, and I kick him hard in the stomach.

I hear people come rushing over behind me. But I still can't stop kicking James. Over and over and over my foot comes into contact with him, by foot covered in blood. I just think about the little boy on the roof, his golden hair, and green eyes, his fingers bent at awkward angles from where I stepped on them, his mother's scream from the roof.

I am shoved to the ground, my head slamming against it, but I don't stay there it makes me vulnerable. I get up and see the guard that must have pushed me now seeing James. I hear cheering and look at the roof. The kids are cheering me, waving. I look at my feet, it covered in blood and try to wipe it off, but I know it is just going to stain a dark patch, but at least it isn't so noticeable now.

I walk into The Hub, like the children suggested, and nobody takes a second look at me. People are reading the newspaper on the chairs, watching the tv, talking.

There is a sign by the elevator it says "**Meeting at 09:00 for leaders Level 2 Room 65**"

I decide to take the stairs, running up them I pass some Abnegation members I recognise and they smile at me.

When I reach Level 2 there are guards dressed in blue guarding the door.

One of the guard signs and says in monotone "You aren't a leader, you can't come through."

There are gun shots from inside the room. I try and push past them but they shove me back.

"Let me in the room." I demand.

They both shake their heads. Another round of gun shots.

"What is going on?!" I scream at them.

"Nothing for you to worry about" The other one says.

I draw my gun, and aim it at one of the men. "I can kill you both, stand aside." In response they both aim their guns at me. It is then I notice they are the same guns used to inject us with the serum, but the serum doesn't work on me.

I roll my eyes at them and let out a laugh. "Go ahead, shoot me."

One looks at the other.

There feet are too close together, which will mean they will lose balance, also the position they are holding the guns means both of them will go home tonight with a broken nose.

I shoot one in the leg, the other guard fires at me, but he misses and his body is slammed against the door, resulting in it flying open, and blood spurts out from his nose. The man I just shot aims his gun at me, but I shoot him in the shoulder.

"Idiots." I say, looking at them whimpering in pain. I raise my gun again and point it at the entrance to the room, inside is a long table, chairs overturned, water glasses smashed, the glass behind also smashed.

I slowly make my way into the room.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The room is modern, it has a slim long wooden table, black wallpaper, tinted broken windows, smashed flat screen tv, a blood stained white carpet, and twelve black chairs with three dead bodies seated but in a slouched position. I walk to the right side of the room and look down the table, soaking in the carnage that is before my eyes.

I would check for a pulse on the two men and one woman, but there is no point, I can see the holes in their heads, and back of their necks. Two Candor men and one Amity women. She would have been so pretty, I don't recognise her from when I stayed there, but her shiny blonde hair tied in a neat plait, and her deep blue eyes, with long black lashes, and little wrinkle lines sprinkled around her face suggest she aged gracefully, she looks like she would have been my mother's age. I wonder if she has a child, a husband, if any of them do.

I only stand there looking down the table for probably no more than two seconds, but it feels like a year. I see a door at the other end of the room and rush towards it, I fling it open, and it is an emergency stairwell, encased in concrete and a metal railing with a body of a guard dressed in blue slung over it. I run down the stairs, not caring if I am being heavy footed. When all of a sudden someone grabs my arm, when I turn I can't see who it is, they are standing in the shadows but are pulling me with all their force, I am stronger though. I turn my body into her elbow, so it bends the wrong way. I hear a crack suddenly the grip loosens on my arms.

"Aaaaah" A woman cries.

I recognise that voice. Think. Think.

I bend down, all I can see is part of a leg and hand, the rest is still hidden.

"Johanna?" I ask scornfully.

"Tris! Don't go after them, promise me you won't, they will get you, kill you."

She shifts her body out of the shadow like a snake, her eyes wide in panic. She is shaking and trying to reach out for me, but I step away, she reminds me of an old woman who is frail and weak that just fell out of her chair by the way she is moving.

"I want to protect you. Come with me, you will be safe in Amity, we will care for you and you can help our society, all the factions."

She grasps onto my ankle.

"Let go of me." I say gritting my teeth, kicking my foot away. "You just want to get rid of me. You told Four lies, and you wanted rid of all the Divergent. Didn't you." I say bitterly

She doesn't speak, she just looks up at me.

"Didn't you!" I shout.

"You don't understand, I had to tell him lies, and I wanted the Divergent safe."

I back away slowly.

"No. No. No. Don't go. They shot me Tris. Stay with me please." Johanna says weakly.

"You are strong, not weak." I say emotionally "You were supposed to help us when we came back. Look at you Johannah. Just look at you. I need to find the leaders, who has them where did they take them?"

"If you take me with you I will tell you _everything _Tris, I promise, just take me."

I have never in my life thought Johanna would end up on the floor clasping onto me begging me to save her.

I help lift her up, it is then I realise the extent of her injuries and feel terrible. Her top is dripping with blood, she has been shot twice in the stomach and once in each thigh.

The choices are limited, I have to help her, I can't leave her to die in a stairwell alone, but I need to find where Tobias and the other leaders have gone. I have been so horrible to her in my anger that she stopped me from going after them. I know what my mother would say.


End file.
